


A Secret Garden

by Mangoesaregood8



Category: Infernal Devices Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gardening
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-05-21 01:04:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6032485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mangoesaregood8/pseuds/Mangoesaregood8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will has been having difficulties dealing with his anger and frustration from seeing how the Clave is treating Charlotte and needs a new way to vent his frustration that doesn't involve damaging the Institute's stock of throwing knives.  Jem thinks he has the perfect solution and shows Will that there's always another way to sort out his feelings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Secret Garden

Will was up in the training room, practicing throwing knives at the different targets that were hung up around the room. After years of practicing with them, his aim was usually dead on, but today was not the case. He was still hitting the targets, but the knives were landing outside of the fatal zones. They were also embedding themselves deeper in the targets. Will knew they would be more difficult to retrieve later, but he would worry about that when he needed to. For now, he was more than happy taking out his frustration on the training dummies.  
He moved from spot to spot in the room, wanting to attack the dummies from all angles. He watched as the knives sunk into the dummies before quickly moving on to the next one.  
Will was about to throw another knife at a dummy he had already attacked three times, but paused when his hand came up empty. Was he really out already?  
“I swear I just started. Have I really thrown them all?” Will asked himself. He walked around the room and counted the knives in the dummies. They were all impaled deeply into the dummies and showed no signs of being moved soon.  
“I guess I’m done training for now. I’ll come back for those later.” Will walked over to the door and grabbed his tie and his waistcoat. He had nearly ripped them off in his hurry to get ready. He put his tie around his neck before tying it and flattening it down. He then shrugged on his waistcoat, doing the buttons carefully before leaving.  
Will wandered around the upper levels of the Institute before deciding to go out on a walk. He was feeling a bit better that he was earlier, but he still had plenty of pent up feelings that he wanted to get out. He walked down the winding steps to his room to grab his topcoat. He was straightening the lapels and froze for a moment. He could just make out faint violin music playing from across the hall.  
“Maybe Jem will join me if I pester him enough, he’ll join me.”  
He walked across the hall and into Jem’s room without knocking.  
“I would ask if that’s you Will, but you’re the only one who ever comes in without knocking,” Jem said will a chuckle. He set his violin down and turn to face Will. “Am I not allowed privacy?”  
“If you were doing something that required privacy, then I would leave.” Will crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame. “Or if it bothers you that much, you could always lock you door.”  
Jem shook his head. “No. If I were to do that, I would never hear the end of it from you. I’ll just have to suffer with you barging into my room at will.” He loosened the tension on his bow and set it down next to the violin. “Did you need something, or are you only here to distract me from my practice?”  
“I was going to ask if you wanted to go for a walk with me, but if you’re busy, I can go alone.”  
“And let you wander into trouble?” Jem pulled on his own topcoat before grabbing his cane. “I’m not going to be held responsible for when you wander into the wrong part of town.”  
“Jem, you worry too much. I can take care of myself just fine.”  
“Is that why you were up in the training room for so long after you were told you couldn’t stay in the meeting? I hope you put the knives away. I feel a bit sorry for the dummies. They did nothing to deserve that, did they?” Jem asked.  
Will sighed. “How did you expect me to react Jem? They shouldn’t talk to Charlotte like that.”  
“Yes, well. You getting upset and trying to take matters into your own hands anytime someone bad mouths Charlotte isn’t helping her case. If anything it’s proving their point.”  
Will scowled at his parabatai. “How could you say that?”  
“I’m not saying that they’re right, Will. All I’m saying is, that they’re thinking if Charlotte can’t control an unruly teenage Shadowhunter, how is she supposed to run an Institute? It does make sense.”  
Will sighed and stayed silent. He knew Jem was right, even if he didn’t want him to be.  
“Something else is bothering you. You know you can talk to me Will.”  
“How do you deal with it Jem? I know I try to get it all out in the training room, but it’s never enough. How are you able to deal with it all, and me on top of that?”  
Will didn’t put it into words, but Jem knew what he meant.  
“It’s called an outlet Will. Something you can do that can help you sort out your feelings. Some people need more than one. I know I do.”  
“You do? I thought music was yours.”  
Jem nodded. “Yes, music is one of them, but it’s not always enough.”  
“What is the other, if you don’t mind me asking?” Will asked.  
“It would be easier to show you than to explain to you. Follow me.” Jem walked towards the door and turned to make sure that Will was following him.  
Will followed behind him and shut the door once both of them were out.  
Jem led Will down the winding steps of the Institute and out the front door.  
“Where are you taking me?” Will asked as Jem led him behind the Institute. It wasn’t often that he’d been there.”  
“Patience dear William,” Jem said. “You’ll see in a moment.” Jem continued walking through the grounds of the Institute.   
Will looked around and he saw the stables. He had been there plenty of times before, but never much further past them. He never saw a reason to.  
Jem led them on for another five minutes before he stopped. “Here we are.”  
Will looked around. He didn’t see anything special that would make Jem want to show him this place. “It’s just the grounds, Jem.”  
“Look a little closer. What do you see?” Jem was standing with both of his hands on his cane.  
Will looked around again. There were a few tall trees making a little alcove. Inside was tall grass, dotted with the bright, happy colors of wild flowers. The grass was lush and green, obviously well-watered by London’s rainy weather.  
“There’s flowers. And trees. And a lot of grass,” Will said.  
“Yes.” Jem stepped into the alcove.   
Will followed him in and he noticed a stone bench that was protected by the trunks of the trees. He could also faintly hear the bubbling of a brook in the near distance. Now that he was standing in the alcove, he could smell the perfume of the flowers.  
Jem sat down on the stone bench and laid his cane down beside him.  
Will took a few more steps in until he was standing in the middle of the alcove. A feeble ray of sun was trying to work its way through the clouds. Will could feel its warmth on his face. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was already starting to feel better.  
“Do you come here often?” Will asked after a moment of silence.   
“I usually come here at least once a week. It’s good to get some fresh air and a little sunshine,” Jem replied. He had his face turned up to the sky as well. “Sometimes I’ll take care of the flowers if I notice they aren’t doing as well as usual. Mostly I come here to enjoy the space.”  
Will walked over to the bench and sat down next to Jem. “There’s something peaceful about it.”  
Jem nodded in agreement. “I find that nature is always peaceful.” He smiled softly.   
“Even storms?” Will asked with a chuckle.  
“Well, not necessarily the thunder and the lightning, but hearing the rain is.”  
“Only you Jem.” Will shook his head with a smirk.  
“Perhaps instead of destroying our stock of throwing knives in the future, you could come sit out here for a few minutes? You could even bring a book with you. Then again, if you did that, we might never see you in the Institute again.”  
“You think that I would lag behind in my training like that? And let that Lightworm pass me? I’m wounded Jem.”  
“Knowing you and your love of books, I wouldn’t put it past you to spend all of your free time here. At least in the warmer months. Unfortunately, this place offers no protection from the cold in the wintertime.”  
“I would imagine that it looks beautiful in the snow though. I would have to come out to at least see that,” Will said.  
“Yes. It is worth the walk.” Jem leaned back against the tree that the bench was set against. “There have been many a days when I find I’ve fallen asleep out here.”  
“That would explain why I have trouble finding you some days.”  
Jem chuckled softly. “Yes, that would explain it.”  
Will stayed silent for a moment as he stared at his feet.  
“Is everything alright Will? Is there something still bothering you?”  
Will didn’t answer.  
“Will?”  
“Jem…?”  
“Yes Will?”  
Will took a breath. “Thank you.”  
Jem quirked an eyebrow. “What are you thanking me for?”  
“For showing me this. I think it will really help me in the future. I know I really ought to control myself better, especially if I ever want to be allowed in clave meetings and to be taken seriously. It’s just hard at times. Seeing how they disrespect Charlotte like that. I can’t stand it. She’s done so much for all of us, and she runs the Institute wonderfully. She took me in when I had nowhere else where I could go. It’s the least I can do for her in return.”  
“I know it’s difficult, but Charlotte knew what she was getting herself into when she accepted the responsibility of running the Institute. The most you can do for her now is train and study hard to be the best Shadowhunter you can be. That will be the strongest message that you can send to the Clave on her behalf.”  
“Thank you Jem.”  
Jem smiled placed a hand on Will’s shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’m glad I could help.”


End file.
